Local Schools Will Regulate Counseling

State Skips Decision On Parental Consent

RICHMOND — After years of debate at the state level on how to regulate guidance counseling, the Virginia Board of Education has handed off the issue to local school divisions.

In a 5-4 vote Thursday, the board decided that the state's 136 school boards will have until July 1 to adopt regulations that outline how much control parents should have over counseling their children receive.

Board President James Jones said localities are in a far better position than the state to decide what's best for them.

"A one-size-fits-all prescription from Richmond is not what we need," Jones said. "There is a great variety in our 136 local divisions."

The plan approved Thursday, proposed by board member Alan Wurtzel, states that school divisions will continue to provide academic and career guidance. Parents will have the option to keep their children out of those guidance programs, but all children will participate unless parents specifically request that their children not be counseled.

The local school districts will decide whether permission from parents will be required in advance for personal or social counseling.

The board members who voted against the proposal said they preferred another plan under consideration that would have required parental consent in advance for personal or social counseling.

"I think we need to let parents make these decisions," said board vice president Michelle Easton. "I sincerely believe we shouldn't be stepping in as a parent without express permission."

Of the board members, all four appointees of former Gov. Doug Wilder, a Democrat, and one appointee of Republican Gov. George Allen voted for Wurtzel's plan. The remaining four Allen appointees, including Easton, voted against the proposal.

Teachers and counselors at the meeting said after the vote they preferred the local choice proposal to the alternative, which would have placed more restrictions on counselors. But counselors said an even less restrictive proposal discussed at public hearings across the state last summer would have been better.

"Of the two choices today, we were much more in favor of Mr. Wurtzel's plan," said Dorothy Blum, president of the Virginia Counselor Association. "But we're a little disappointed."

Robley Jones, president of the 54,000-member Virginia Education Association, said his organization will now push for less restrictive regulations in individual school divisions.

"Now the battle moves to the local level," he said.

Jones added that the General Assembly could intervene and block the state board's change in policy.

Joe Guarino, executive director for Virginia Citizens for Excellence in Education, a ministry group that works to encourage reform in education, said his group had hoped the proposal to require advance parental permission would be chosen. Now members will encourage local boards to require advance parental permission for personal and social counseling.

"It's not what I would have wanted, but the fact that we are making this a local choice is better than what we've got now."

Locally, school board members said they expect some discussions with the public, but they do not predict major debates.

"We've had some people say they've had bad experiences, but there haven't been a lot of people talking about it," said James Haggard, chairman of the Hampton School Board.

Marcie Wolfe, chairwoman of the Williamsburg-James City County School Board, said she hasn't heard from any parents about the issue. "No one has approached me about this," she said. "It would surprise me if there was a big turnoutwhen we talk about it."